Part 2 – What is Good Posture?

Last time, we shared what it really meant to have a good posture and how this may mean different things for different people. Let us go on further about posture and discuss how shifting weight to one direction makes a difference.

Watch the video to hear my answer and leave any questions you may have in the comments section below.

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Video Transcription [Please excuse grammatical errors due to the conversational nature of the video]:

Hey, guys! Ben from Carter PT again.

Last time, we discussed posture and what it meant to have good posture. There’s not a defined best posture because it is different for everybody. One of the things we see a lot with posture is the tendency to want to shift the hip from one side to the other. This is a habit I have a problem with as well.

It’s not easy to correct. We talk to people when we stand or sit. We have a tendency to lean into one hip. Often what I see is that the hip that we lean into tends to be the side that gives us the most problems. So when standing or talking to somebody, be really mindful of how you’re shifting weight from one leg to another. It’s almost strange to see somebody standing or sitting upright these days. This position doesn’t look comfortable and most of us most of us aren’t comfortable if we try to sit upright.

We usually want to want to roll like this. I feel like I could hang out here for a while but if I worked on strength and flexibility, I could probably get to this point here within reason. But I know that I can’t sustain that. So I’ve got a lot of work to do in my posture.

Also consider how you’re crossing your arms. Varying ways of crossing the arms put different strains of the mid back and shoulder.

These habits get ingrained in our bodies and are difficult to change, but they can make a dramatic impact on how you feel throughout your day. If you think about it, we sit anywhere between 6-10 hours a day. So it’s a good idea to be in a healthy position when you do that. Not habituating a good posture can be alleviated by a stretch, but that will feel good for a bit. But if you go back to sitting at your desk or standing at a desk the same way you always have, it’s not likely to change.

We usually see people with these hot spots and between the shoulder blades, around their necks, and near their hips. It tells us that small behaviors really add up over time and we get these tender spots – this is where I carry my tension is what someone will say.

Well, if you sit like this all day long that’s going to pull on this area. But it’s also unreasonable to hold that. So as you’re considering your posture, really evaluate how balanced you feel in your body. If you stand up straight and point your feet forward, people feel pretty uncomfortable. But this behavior feels good for their bodies right now. This may not be ideal but it’s comfortable. Those are two different criteria and this sometimes it is e too much work to hold.

So if you have any more questions go to www.carterpt.com and feel free to ask any questions below. Thanks! Take care.